Aleutian Airways

[BRUSR_ONE]

I see a new posting for Aleutian Airways up in Anchorage. I know they are fairly new and only have a small fleet of 7 I think, Saab 2000s and there's a pretty wide pay range listed from 50-65k. Anybody have any insight about working there? Or at any airline with a SOC in Anchorage?

I do not know what kind of flight benefits they have, and are they in CASS? If free flights are only on their metal that's not much as they have a limited reach. I guess you'd have to buy a ZED on AS to get out of there?

I am contemplating this. It doesn't have to be a forever job. Its ridiculously expensive to move there though. I checked, renting a small U-Haul from my location to ANC would be $6k+. I would have to put my stuff in storage down here and buy some used furniture up there, and sell it off before I leave. Apartment rents don't seem that outrageous - $1600 can get something decent but I don't know what other fees are involved like utilities, car insurance, etc. Has anyone gone to Alaska to get your early career experience, and what was it like?

 

[rogerthatbravo]

I doubt that there in CASS ( I don’t see them in the ALPA list for airlines), I would just apply and you could ask them those questions , they seem to be former penair routes

If you’re from the lower 48 that’s a tough sell if there is no CASS. There’s a few airlines like Lyden Air Cargo, NAC, Everts Air Cargo and RAVN up in Alaska that has CASS, probably just wait for them and if they don’t have a relocation package that wouldn’t be good.

Alaska is a beautiful and underrated state , earlier in my career I considered going up there

 

[rogerthatbravo]

looking at the posting it does say 50-65k (because there non union) so if you have no experience 50k, if you have previous years of 121 dispatch, prolly could negotiate 65k. I would rather go to the JAX SOC location, makes sense financially. Unless your an outdoor person and like -40 C winters lol

 

[Pepwave1]

No CASS.
when I last spoke with a recruiter, it was "coming soon."
Embarrassingly, I slept through my online interview timeslot...I never do that.

I took it as a sign that it wasn't an opportunity for me.

 

[BRUSR_ONE]

I thought you had to be in the CASS system in order to be allowed on the flight deck? Since this is a 121, flight deck observation hours are required per FAA regs so how do they achieve that?

The JAX SOC location is only for those with experience. I don't understand how they can have an operation center way down there when all their ops are in Alaska. ??

Not being able to have flight benefits to at least take a break and go back to civilization for a couple days would make it hard to stay there.

 

[757Geek]

You don’t have to be in CASS in order to sit in the flight deck on your metal.

 

[Pepwave1]

I thought you had to be in the CASS system in order to be allowed on the flight deck? Since this is a 121, flight deck observation hours are required per FAA regs so how do they achieve that?

The JAX SOC location is only for those with experience. I don't understand how they can have an operation center way down there when all their ops are in Alaska. ??

Not being able to have flight benefits to at least take a break and go back to civilization for a couple days would make it hard to stay there.

CASS is not the requirement.
You must, however, meet the requirements of 49 CFR §1542.229 and 49 U.S. Code § 44936

 

[OttoPilot13]

I thought you had to be in the CASS system in order to be allowed on the flight deck? Since this is a 121, flight deck observation hours are required per FAA regs so how do they achieve that?

The JAX SOC location is only for those with experience. I don't understand how they can have an operation center way down there when all their ops are in Alaska. ??

Not being able to have flight benefits to at least take a break and go back to civilization for a couple days would make it hard to stay there.

Im pretty sure if they happen to operate under part 121 supplemental rules the 5 hour annual observation is not required.

 

[BRUSR_ONE]

Aleutian has a Part 121 air carrier certificate, per one of their press releases. They are part of Jacksonville based Sterling Airways, which operates the E145 under Supplemental but their profile on airline pilot central says Aleutian operates the Saab 2000 under Supp and scheduled service. The actual job posting says they are looking for a Part 121 Airline dispatcher. dx cert required.

 

[manniax]

Aleutian has a Part 121 air carrier certificate, per one of their press releases. They are part of Jacksonville based Sterling Airways, which operates the E145 under Supplemental but their profile on airline pilot central says Aleutian operates the Saab 2000 under Supp and scheduled service. The actual job posting says they are looking for a Part 121 Airline dispatcher. dx cert required.

The CEO of Sterling Airways was my manager at the first airline I worked at. I would advise staying far away from anything to do with him or any company he manages.

 

[LowlyDispatcher]

I see a new posting for Aleutian Airways up in Anchorage. I know they are fairly new and only have a small fleet of 7 I think, Saab 2000s and there's a pretty wide pay range listed from 50-65k. Anybody have any insight about working there? Or at any airline with a SOC in Anchorage?

I do not know what kind of flight benefits they have, and are they in CASS? If free flights are only on their metal that's not much as they have a limited reach. I guess you'd have to buy a ZED on AS to get out of there?

I am contemplating this. It doesn't have to be a forever job. Its ridiculously expensive to move there though. I checked, renting a small U-Haul from my location to ANC would be $6k+. I would have to put my stuff in storage down here and buy some used furniture up there, and sell it off before I leave. Apartment rents don't seem that outrageous - $1600 can get something decent but I don't know what other fees are involved like utilities, car insurance, etc. Has anyone gone to Alaska to get your early career experience, and what was it like?

I see a new posting for Aleutian Airways up in Anchorage. I know they are fairly new and only have a small fleet of 7 I think, Saab 2000s and there's a pretty wide pay range listed from 50-65k. Anybody have any insight about working there? Or at any airline with a SOC in Anchorage?

I do not know what kind of flight benefits they have, and are they in CASS? If free flights are only on their metal that's not much as they have a limited reach. I guess you'd have to buy a ZED on AS to get out of there?

I am contemplating this. It doesn't have to be a forever job. Its ridiculously expensive to move there though. I checked, renting a small U-Haul from my location to ANC would be $6k+. I would have to put my stuff in storage down here and buy some used furniture up there, and sell it off before I leave. Apartment rents don't seem that outrageous - $1600 can get something decent but I don't know what other fees are involved like utilities, car insurance, etc. Has anyone gone to Alaska to get your early career experience, and what was it like?

I started my career in Anchorage for PenAir(peninsula airways) who was in bankruptcy at the time. They got bought by Ravn Air Group (now Ravn Alaska) who was going to merge the two. I transferred to Ravn side and then they went bankrupt during covid (spring 2020). Got laid off. Actually a really great place to be laid off on unemployment during the summer. CA based float shuttle bought up Ravn and restarted. I went back that fall. Later went to Spirit and now at American. Aleutian hired a lot of old PenAir people. Good people.
Living in Alaska was an amazing experience. Cost of living in Anchorage is not bad. It's cheaper than south Florida (Spirit) and some other bigger cities. But I was also there 2018-2021. I'm sure some things have gone up. Go if you like the outdoors. I mainly fished and hiked. Beautiful views everywhere you go. Winters are long and dark. Summer is short. That was my main complaint. I got great dispatch experience dealing with all kinds of weird situations, lack of resources, special airports, decision making. Just missing thunderstorms and air traffic control issues.

 

[BRUSR_ONE]

I started my career in Anchorage for PenAir(peninsula airways) who was in bankruptcy at the time. They got bought by Ravn Air Group (now Ravn Alaska) who was going to merge the two. I transferred to Ravn side and then they went bankrupt during covid (spring 2020). Got laid off. Actually a really great place to be laid off on unemployment during the summer. CA based float shuttle bought up Ravn and restarted. I went back that fall. Later went to Spirit and now at American. Aleutian hired a lot of old PenAir people. Good people.
Living in Alaska was an amazing experience. Cost of living in Anchorage is not bad. It's cheaper than south Florida (Spirit) and some other bigger cities. But I was also there 2018-2021. I'm sure some things have gone up. Go if you like the outdoors. I mainly fished and hiked. Beautiful views everywhere you go. Winters are long and dark. Summer is short. That was my main complaint. I got great dispatch experience dealing with all kinds of weird situations, lack of resources, special airports, decision making. Just missing thunderstorms and air traffic control issues.

Sounds interesting but the cost of getting there is just insane. The ferry across the Gulf is not operating this summer. It would cost me probably 7 grand to rent a uhaul and drive ($5k just for the Uhaul alone) but then when I want to leave I can only do it during the summer season because driving back down the al-can highway in winter is dangerous AF. That would limit my job chances not to mention getting out of there going back the way I came will cost another $5-7k at least. I don't know how else people can do it. A furnished apartment would probably cost too much. Even if I didn't take a truck up there, just driving out in my own car would have to wait till summer.

 

[LowlyDispatcher]

Sounds interesting but the cost of getting there is just insane. The ferry across the Gulf is not operating this summer. It would cost me probably 7 grand to rent a uhaul and drive ($5k just for the Uhaul alone) but then when I want to leave I can only do it during the summer season because driving back down the al-can highway in winter is dangerous AF. That would limit my job chances not to mention getting out of there going back the way I came will cost another $5-7k at least. I don't know how else people can do it. A furnished apartment would probably cost too much. Even if I didn't take a truck up there, just driving out in my own car would have to wait till summer.

You're right. It's definitely a risk and not cheap. When I went I just drove with whatever I could fit in my car and moving into a cheap studio but that's not ideal for most people. I lived like a broke college student for a minute. For me I was just ready to move out of state and start something new. Summers were amazing and i miss them but I don't miss the winters. Really comes down to whether or not you can handle the risk, the cost to move, and what you like to do. That's all I can say really.

 

[flygirl142]

Sounds interesting but the cost of getting there is just insane. The ferry across the Gulf is not operating this summer. It would cost me probably 7 grand to rent a uhaul and drive ($5k just for the Uhaul alone) but then when I want to leave I can only do it during the summer season because driving back down the al-can highway in winter is dangerous AF. That would limit my job chances not to mention getting out of there going back the way I came will cost another $5-7k at least. I don't know how else people can do it. A furnished apartment would probably cost too much. Even if I didn't take a truck up there, just driving out in my own car would have to wait till summer.

Not Alaska specific but I had been in a furnished bedroom. When I moved to my own house, I needed to suddenly furnish a full house. Back in my post college days, I did it with garage/estate sales. I'd go at the end of the day and get great bargains on leftover furniture. These days though, it's all done online and it's hard to get those kinds of deals. I ended up furnishing my house with facebook marketplace. The great thing about that is you can get something for cheap. If you don't like it, you can get something else later. When I take my next job, I'll sell all of this furniture and do the same thing again wherever I move.